Change-speed gearing.



W. T. CARTER.-

CHANGE SPEED GEARING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1908 I 985,5 1 1 Patented Feb. 28, 1911 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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WALTER T. CARTER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CHANGE-SPEED GEARING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ainan: T. CARTER, a citizen of the United States. residing at Los Angeles. in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful. Improvements in Change-Speed Gearing for Motor-Cycles of which the following is a specification.

The prime object of this invention is to provide a change gear for motor cycles whereby the relative speed of rotation of the engine shaft and the traction wheel may be changed quickly whenever it is desired to do so.

The invention consists of an attachment readily applicable to the usual motor cycle in place of the pulley ordinarily secured upon the engine shaft. In the attachment for accomplishing my invention a belt pulley is loosely placed upon the shaft and may be connected by either of two means there to. One of these means constitutes a simple friction clutch which forces the pulley to rotate synchronously with the engine shaft when the clutch is expanded. The other means involves a system of planetary gears which will lock into operative position to rotate the belt pulley at a slower rate of speed than theshaft. Means are provided to throw either of the clutching means out of engagement as the other is thrown in. this operating means being easily actuated by the rider.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification :Figure 1,- is a side elevation of a motor cycle equipped with my improved gear. Fig. 2, is an enlarged side elevation of the gear. Fig. 3, is a longitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig. 4;,- is a section taken partly on line 4- 1 of Fig. 3, with parts broken away to show elements beyond the section line. Fig. 5,- is a perspective detail of one of the clutch disks for the low gear.

In the drawings 10 designates the fame of a motor cycle supported by wheels 11 and provided with driving engine 12 in the usual manner. I have shown a motor cycle of the belt drive type but it will be obvious from the following description that my invention may be applied to a chain drive as well as to the one described. The improved gear is mounted upon crank case 13 of the engine and around engine shaft i l. Rigidly mounted upon the outer end of shaft 1 1 is a sleeve 15 carrying clutch member 16 rigidly mount Specification of Letters Fatent. Patented. Feb. 28, 1911.

Application filed June 8, 1908.

Serial No. 437,343.

ed thereon and driving pulley 17 loosely mounted thereon against a flange 18 on its inner end. Driving pulley 17 is provided with an overhanging flange 19 inside of which member 16 of the clutch is adapted to revolve. Member 16 of the clutch is provided with a plurality of expanding segments :20 of usual design having inwardly extending arms 21 which contact with a cone loosely mounted upon sleeve 15. Cone 22 is operated by a bifurcated lever 23 pivoted at 2% to supports secured to the crank case of the engine or any other convenient part. Lever 23 is of the bell crank type and to its inner and uiper end is secured a rod which extents upwardly on the motor cycle to be connected to the operating lever 26 having a handle 27 in a convenient position to be operated by the rider. Upon the movement of this handle away from the seat of the motor cycle rod is moved upwardly and cone 22 of the clutch is moved inwardly so that members 20 are expanded against the inner periphery of flange 19 and pulley 17 is rotatively locked to shaft 1%. to drive rear wheel 11 through belt 28. \Vhen it is desired to throw pulley 17 out of direct engagement with shaft 1% handle 27 is pulled toward the rider and clutch members 20 are thereby allowed to contract.

Pulley 17 is made in an overhanging configuration and the mechanism of the low gear is mounted almost wholly within the pulley. This mechanism comprises a flange having an internally threaded hub 36 which screws tightly onto externally thrcaded circular boss 37 on crank case 13 around shaft 14: so that it is rigidly stationary at all times. Running freely upon flange 35 is a large internally toothed gear 37 forming the outer member of a planetary gear system, the inner gear 38 being rigidly mounted upon shaft 1 1. The small intermediate gears 39 are mounted on studs 40 secured to pulley 17.

In the normal position of the parts of the low gear mechanism gear 37 is free to revolve so that pulley 17 is not rotated or hindered in its rotation by the fact that gears 39 are mounted on it. When it is de- "red to throw low gear into operation gear 37 is locked in a stationary position and studs 40 are thereupon moved to rotate pulley 17 at a smaller rate of speed than that at which gear 38 is traveling, the relative proportions of the speeds depending upon the relative sizes of gears 37 and 38.

To lock gear 37 in a non-movable position a stationary clutch plate ll is screwed upon hub 36 of flange 35 and is also secured to the crank case by means of projecting lugs $2. This clutch disk is provided with a hub 4:3 on which a simple but rotating clutcli' disk 4% is mounted. Both disks are provided with wedge-shaped inclines on their engaging surfaces so arranged that when lever 46 attached to disk s4: is moved downwardly the two disks are forced apart. As disk ll is stationary disk as is forced against the radial flange 47 of gear 37 and holds the flange tightly between disk 44 and flange 35.

This prevents gear 37 from rotating and pulley 17 is consequently rotated with shaft Ll but at a lower speed. Lever 46 is connected by rod &8 to lever 26 and it will be noted that upon the movement of handle 27 toward the rider the above operations of throwing the low gear into action will take place. Thus when the low gear is placed in action the high gear is necessarily thrown out of action and vice versa. Also when handle 27 is in the position illustrated in Fig. 1, both clutches are thrown out of gear so that the operator can stand the cycle against a curb without stopping the engine.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Change speed gearing, comprising a driving shaft, a driven pulleylooselyinounted thereon, a friction clutch adapted to r0- tatively lock said pulley to said shaft, aplanetary gear system comprising a central I 1 l t i gear rigidly mounted on said shaft, an outer gear, planetary gears mounted upon said pulley, rotative wedge means to lock said outer gear from rotation, and means to operate said rotative wedge means and to operate said friction clutch.

2. Change speed gearing comprising a driving shaft, a driving gear fixedly mounted on said driving shaft, a driven pulley rotatively mounted on said driving shaft, intermediate gears carried by said pulley and mounted to rotate thereon, an annular gear in mesh with said intermediate gears, a stationary clutch plate parallel to the plane of said annular gear and clutching means be tween said annular gear and said stationary clutch plate.

3. Change-speed gearing comprising a driving shaft, a driving gear rigidly attached to said shaft, a pulley loosely n1ounted on said shaft, a friction clutch between said pulley and said shaft for connecting said shaft to said pulley for a direct drive, an internal gear wheel mounted within said pulley, pinions carried by said pulley meshing with said internal gear and said first named gear, a rotatable collar disposed around said shaft adjacent to said internal gear, a fixed collar and means for shifting said rotatable collar toward said fixed collar so as to clamp said internal gear.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 29th day of Bfay, i908.

TVALTER T. CARTER. lVitnesses Emrunn A. STRAUSE, OLLIE PALMER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

